1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly to a card connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, electronic devices, such as personal computers, mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, video cameras, music players, game machines, and vehicle navigation devices, include card connectors so as to enable use of various types of memory cards, such as subscriber identity module (SIM) cards, multi-media cards (MMCs), secure digital (SD) cards, mini SD cards, xD picture cards, memory sticks, memory sticks Duo, and smart media.
With recent downsizing of electronic equipment, memory cards likewise tend to be rapidly reduced in size. Therefore, there has been proposed a so-called two-in-one type card connector which can receive not only a memory card of an ordinary size but also a memory card of a reduced size (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2004-311416 and Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3105276).
FIG. 19 is a view showing a conventional card connector as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3105276. In FIG. 19, reference numeral 302 denotes a large memory card, and 303 denotes a small memory card. The card connector includes a housing 304, a terminal set 305 mounted on the housing 304, and a shell 310 attached to the housing 304 to cover the upper surface of the housing 304. The terminal set 305 includes first connection terminals 306 which come into connection with pads of the large memory card 302, a second connection terminals 307 which come into connection with pads of the small memory card 303 and lever members 308 which elastically grasp the side surfaces of the large memory card 302 or the small memory card 303 from the opposite sides thereof. The housing 304 also includes an urging member 311 which comes into contact with the upper surface of the large memory card 302 or the small memory card 303 and urges it downward.
The card connector has an opening at its front end. The large memory card 302 and the small memory card 303 are selectively inserted and loaded into the card connector via the opening. In the loaded state, the rear ends of the large memory card 302 and the small memory card 303 project the same distance from the opening. The pads disposed in the vicinity of the front end of the large memory card 302 come into contact with the first connection terminals 306 located at a deeper position within the card connector. The pads disposed in the vicinity of the front end of the small memory card 303 come into contact with the second connection terminals 307 located at a position near the opening of the card connector.
By virtue of the above-described configuration, the large memory card 302 and the small memory card 303 can be selectively loaded into the card connector.
However, since the conventional card connector does not include an identification-guide mechanism for identifying the type of an inserted memory card and guiding the memory card to a position corresponding to the card type, the memory card may be inserted to an improper position within the card connector with a resultant failure to establish proper electrical connection between the memory card and the card connector, or with resultant damage to the components of the card connector. Further, since the conventional card connector does not include a push-push mechanism which enables an operator to push a memory card for removal from the card connector as well as to insert the memory card into the card connector, the conventional connector is unsatisfactory in terms of convenience of use.
Although the conventional two-in-one type card connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-311416 has an identification-guide mechanism and a push-push mechanism, the connector includes a large number of components, resulting in a complex structure, and increased size and weight. Therefore, mounting such a card connector on a small electronic device is difficult.